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Panel Topics & Descriptions
Wastewater Reuse for Potable Water Organized by UC Berkeley Law & Stanford Law Tulare Lake Litigation & Implications Organized by USF Law Contaminant Detection and Drinking Water Monitoring Regimes Organized by UC Law SF Tribal Sovereignty and Stewardship of California’s Aquatic Ecosystems Organized by McGeorge School of Law & UC Davis Law |
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MCLE Materials
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MCLE Materials
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Keynote I Organized by UC Berkeley School of Law
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MCLE Materials
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MCLE Materials
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Lia Foster
President and Co-Founder, Water Law Society at Berkeley Lia Foster is a 2L at Berkeley Law from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, where she developed a passion for freshwater conservation and indigenous water rights. She graduated from UCLA in 2021 with a degree in Geography/Environmental Studies and was a member of the Women’s Swimming Team. At Berkeley, Lia serves as an publishing editor for the California Law Review. Most recently, Lia externed for the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. In her free time, Lia enjoys hiking, embroidery, and swimming. She aims to be a legal advocate for her communities in Hawaiʻi and California. |
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Austin McNichols
Vice-President and Co-Founder, Water Law Society at Berkeley Austin is from Fredericksburg, Virginia and graduated in 2024 from the University of Virginia. There she studied Environmental Science and Political Philosophy, Policy and Law. Austin spent two years researching environmental water transactions in western states such as Nevada and Oregon to evaluate how state water management structures influence their frequency. Outside of law school, Austin spends her time on the water at Berkeley Marina and hiking in the Berkeley Hills. |
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Nick Porsborg
Director of Operations and Co-Founder, Water Law Society at Berkeley Nick is a 1L at Berkeley Law, and is thrilled to be a part of his first Water Law Symposium. Before attending law school, he worked in the grants office at US EPA Region 2, managing the National Estuary Program and the Water Infrastructure Community Grants Program for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. He hopes to return to the federal government as a lawyer someday. |
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Joe Cullen
Treasurer and Co-Founder, Water Law Society at Berkeley Joe is originally from Atlanta, GA, but has lived in the American West for the last eight years, most recently in Anchorage, Alaska. He first became interested in water law through his work at conservation nonprofit, Sheep Mountain Alliance, in southwest Colorado, where he first learned about the intricacies of "first in time, first in right," water rights and the delicate balance of water allocation among diverse stakeholders. Joe is currently a 2L at Berkeley Law and hopes to return to Anchorage after law school. |
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Cassandra Allen
Cassandra Allen is a second-year law student at McGeorge School of Law, pursuing a career in international environmental law. She completed her bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. Cassandra's interest in environmental advocacy began while she was simultaneously studying for the LSAT and working at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation as an environmental stewardship teacher. This experience sparked her desire to use her international background to advance global environmental causes. At McGeorge, she is an active member of the Water Law Society and serves as the President of the International Law Society. She is excited to help facilitate the California Water Law Symposium in the upcoming year. |
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Linnea Rustad
Linnea is a 2L at the McGeorge School of Law. She is pursuing a career in water law and is especially interested in coastal law and policy. Linnea discovered her passion for water law while working as a research diver intern in Indonesia. She recognized that to protect our oceans, change must first be implemented through policy. Linnea is honored to be a part of the 2025 Water Law Symposium and has thoroughly enjoyed exploring this year’s theme of innovation and justice in water law. |
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Paul Hamann
Paul is a 2L at the UC Davis School of Law. Paul attended last year's Water Law Symposium, and after hearing how about the current issues in the field of water law, he wanted to become more involved in water law. In the summer of 2025, Paul will be working with a small Water Law firm in Oroville, CA. Outside of law school, Paul spends most of his time outdoors as fishing is one of his his favorite activities. |
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Victor Wu
Victor Wu is a 3L at Stanford Law School and a Political Science PhD student at Stanford University. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2022, where he studied government, environmental studies, and quantitative social science. At Stanford, Victor serves as Managing Editor of the Stanford Law Review, Editor-in-Chief of the Stanford Environmental Law Journal, and President of the Stanford Environmental Law Society. In his free time, Victor enjoys rock climbing, chess, triathlon, and piano. |
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Gavin Bowen
Gavin is a 1L at Berkeley Law. He is a member of Ecology Law Quarterly and the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, and is currently participating in the Animal Law and Advocacy Project. He graduated from UC Davis in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology. In his free time, Gavin enjoys visiting National Parks, running, and playing board games. |
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Madison Wong
Madison is an associate editor for the Berkeley Journal of International Law and Ecology Law Quarterly and an education advocate for the Foster Education Project. She recently served as a panel coordinator and moderator for the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative. Madison attended UC Davis, where she obtained her B.S. in Environmental Policy Analysis & Planning, with a concentration in Conservation Psychology, and a minor in Psychology. |
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John Million
I’m a 2L at UC Law San Francisco. I grew up in Florida and received my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida in 2008. Prior to attending law school, I worked for several years as a water resources engineering consultant in Florida and Oregon. My work centered on watershed management planning and the design and permitting of stormwater treatment and conveyance systems. As a research assistant for Professor Dave Owen, I researched nonpoint source water quality regulatory programs in California. I am interested in water law and planning to come up with long-term solutions in California and beyond. |
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Ellie Bowen
Ellie Bowen is a 2L at UC Law San Francisco with a focus on environmental and water law. She has researched Clean Water Act policies and watershed management strategies, including non-point source pollution and grazing waivers in San Francisco Bay Area. Currently an intern at the Federal DOJ’s Environmental Enforcement Section, Ellie also brings a strong litigation background. As a member of UC Law SF’s moot court team, she will compete in the PACE Environmental Law Moot Court Competition in February, where she is advocating on issues related to the Clean Water Act. Ellie is excited to contribute her skills and passion to this year’s Water Law Symposium! |
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Josh Verceles
Josh is a 3L at UC College of the Law, San Francisco. His areas of interest include water, environmental, administrative, and constitutional law. He hopes to graduate in 2025 with a concentration in environmental law, then practice environmental public agency law (preferably anything water-related) post-bar. Whenever law school allows, he enjoys watching concerts, cooking and eating different cuisines, going on long road trips, and supporting Liverpool FC |
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Brandon Sample
Brandon’s legal path revolves around a genuine affection for the natural world, coupled with a keen interest in oceanic environments. This has driven him to become a water law attorney. In addition to his academic pursuits and collaborative efforts with ELSAS, Brandon makes sure to carve out time for outdoor exploration. You’ll often find him catching waves while he indulges his love for surfing, a passion that mirrors his dedication to safeguarding our environment through the law. |
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Sean Welch
Sean was born in D.C. and moved to Los Angeles when he was 13. In the last couple of years, he lived in D.C., where he worked to protest and support environmental and civil rights organizations and groups to try and make a difference while being at the center of our government. In his words, “the future of humanity has only looked so bleak a few times in the past, but we are also so close to becoming the best we ever could. Letting everything humanity has achieved die because we are to dumb to stop burning trees from before history feels like the stupidest possible way to go extinct.” Sean wants to make sure that there is a tomorrow for everyone, and believes the best way to do that is be a part of the process, understanding it, and working it! |
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Jubilee (Emelia) Martinez Brumbaugh
Jubilee (they/them) was raised in Piscataway territory (southern Maryland), but has called the unceded Ohlone land of Huichin (Berkeley and Oakland) home since 2015. Prior to law school they worked as a community-based artist and spanish-english interpreter, finding purpose at the intersection of ancestral-healing and right-relationship to land. Having focused on housing law while in school, they hope to steward the connection between housing and climate justice as a water-loving, legal advocate in their future career. |
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